


Hey Look Ma, I Made It

by enbyred



Series: Pray for the Wicked [8]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Bad Parenting, Coming Out, F/F, Light Angst, supportive girlfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-12-18 13:00:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18250355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enbyred/pseuds/enbyred
Summary: Chloe’s made it through a lot of things in her life, but she’s not sure she’ll make it through introducing her girlfriend to her mother.





	Hey Look Ma, I Made It

**Author's Note:**

> Based off Panic! at the Disco's [Hey Look Ma, I Made It](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXPRTZoIU1w%E2%80%9D>Hey%20Look%20Ma,%20I%20Made%20It</a>%0ABest%20read%20after%20<a%20href=)
> 
> Best read after [One of the Drunks](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17876255) (but not necessary).

Chloe turned on her heel. "Nope. Not doing this."

Catching her arm, Kagami pulled her back. "Yes you are. You kept saying 'today's the day,' and I'm holding you to that. You were there with me when I thought my mother would kick me out because of you, we can handle a fashion critic."

"Are you implying that my mother doesn't have influence and couldn't destroy our lives with ease?"

"Of course not." Kagami leaned down to place a peck on Chloe's cheek. "But my mother does know how to use a sword, and she didn't even try to use it. So remember that the worst thing Audrey can do is tell you that you're fired and say that she disapproves of you having a girlfriend. It's not like she can kick you out when you don't even live with her."

Chloe took a deep, strained breath in and nodded. "You're right. It's not like she holds  _ that _  much power over me. My dad's relieved that I got over that weird phase I had obsessing over Adrien, because now he doesn't have to deal with the Agrestes."

"Just the Tsurugis. Not much better," Kagami teased, gently elbowing Chloe.

"Adrien was too dramatic anyway," Chloe said with a shrug. "Boys are ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. My time is much better spent on my lovely girlfriend." She grinned and pulled Kagami close.

"That's right. Now let's go in there and say that to Audrey."

Chloe groaned and leaned her head on Kagami's shoulder. "But what if she's been totally brainwashed by heteronormativity? What if she starts yelling about sex and how she doesn't think it's natural for me to be with a girl? What if she doesn't like you? What if she decides to publicly ruin my reputation or out me to the world?"

"Chloe." Kagami put firm hands on her shoulders and straightened her up. "Do you want your mother to truly know you?" Chloe nodded. "Do you want to feel like you have to sneak around with your girlfriend for the rest of your life?" She shook her head. "Do you  _ really _  think that someone who's technically married to Andre Bourgeois and runs off to New York to avoid him and write articles about women's clothing actually has heteronormative ideas or, by extension, is even straight?"

She took a moment to let Kagami's words sink in. Her mother had always tended to avoid men. She favored speaking with women, critiquing women's clothing, and directed the majority of any praise she had for people toward women and Gabriel Agreste.

"Oh wow," Chloe muttered. "I don't think my mother is straight."

"And neither are you, my Bumblebee. Now let's go in there and gay it up."

With a new resolve, Chloe squared her shoulders and grabbed Kagami's hand, using the other to knock on the door. It opened, and Audrey's assistant ushered them in, showing them to where Audrey was sitting, having tea. Two empty teacups sat in front of her.

"My dear, sweet Clara, and Caroline, of course, come sit and have tea with me. Janine, pour them some tea."

Sitting down, Chloe narrowed her eyes and asserted, "Mother, you know very well that my name is Chloe, and I'm sure you've heard of Kagami, whose name is  _ not _  Caroline."

"Right," Audrey said, waving her hand as though it would eliminate the issue. "My mistake, there's just so many names I have to know, and I doubt my path will ever cross again with this teenage athlete after today, so really, it's not like hers is a name I have to keep track of."

Chloe felt rage bubbling under the surface, angry that her mother would imply that Kagami didn't matter. How dare she? How dare she assume that someone her daughter brought to meet her simply didn't matter, that they would never meet again?

Kagami squeezed Chloe's hand, making her aware of how tightly she had been squeezing. She loosened her grip and took a deep breath to calm herself down. Silence overtook them.

"Do you want to tell her?" Kagami asked quietly. "Or should I?"

Shaking her head, Chloe said, "No. I committed to this. I'll tell her."

"Tell me what, dear?" Audrey looked at her daughter with expectant eyes, almost like she was trying to make herself look as innocent and ignorant as possible. Maybe she  _ was _  totally straight and brainwashed by heteronormative ideals.

She felt herself trembling and tried her hardest to get it to stop. The only comfort she felt was Kagami's hand in hers. Kagami's strict mother had taken it wonderfully, and even told them that she was gender non-binary herself. She loved and supported her bisexual daughter and offered Chloe anything she might need. Though she hadn't specified, Chloe knew that she was implying  _ if your parents disown you, I'll take you in _ . Comforting that she had somewhere to go, but not comforting at all that it was Mrs. Tsurugi's first thought that she would have reason to take Chloe in.

"Mother," Chloe finally said. "You'll be seeing a lot of Kagami. And that's because Kagami is my girlfriend. Not...not a friend who is a girl, but she is my girlfriend. We're dating. I'm..." She looked to Kagami for support. When she received a nod, she held her breath for a moment before finishing, "I'm a lesbian, Mom."

Another spell of heavy silence fell. Thoughts raced through Chloe's mind faster than she could process them.  _ This was a bad idea, she thinks that it's bad, she doesn't support me, she's going to ruin me forever, she hates Kagami, she'll destroy any chance Kagami has at getting accepted to the world finals for fencing this is bad, this is bad. _  Every single "what if" she had compiled in her mind was piling up in her head, threatening to crush her brain.

"Kagami Tsurugi," Audrey muttered, putting her teacup on the coffee table. "You come from a fencing family, yes? You're one of the greatest fencers your age, I've heard."

Taken aback, Chloe and Kagami exchanged a wide-eyed look. Apparently Audrey had done her homework.

"You know who she is," Chloe began slowly, "but you still decided to call her by the wrong name."

Her voice way too even, Kagami asked, "Are you just an asshole on purpose, then?"

"Gami!" Chloe screeched, yanking on her arm. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"

Kagami scoffed and said with a smirk, "A fashion critic. I told you, Chlo, I'm not scared of her. What's she going to do to me? Write to the world that fencing champion Kagami Tsurugi is bi and dating the mayor's daughter? I really don't think I have anything to worry about here."

A smile playing on Audrey's lips, she replied, "I like the unshakable confidence. I've ruined plenty of people, and I'll continue to do so, but I do admit that fencers are outside my area of interest. Ruining you wouldn't do me any good. And ruining my daughter would only make me a villain in the press's eyes. The press just loves to make villains out of mothers." She crossed one leg over the other and picked her tea back up.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Wonderful to know that the reason you won't destroy me is because it would make you look bad. Comforting."

"Oh, don't be dramatic, darling. I never said that it was the only reason." She turned to the assistant. "Janine, could you get us some pastries? I'd kill for a macaroon right now." The way she was so casually asking for pastries made Chloe want to scream. Did she not recognize that something more important was happening?

"You haven't told us what you think," Kagami pointed out. "Not that it'll stop us. Tell us where we stand with you, we'll take some pastries, and we'll leave. Easy as that."

"You two are no fun," Audrey lamented as Janine placed a spread of pastries on the coffee table. "You don't want any suspense? I quite enjoy these tense moments, where all you want is my answer and I'm not giving it. Oh wait!" She laughed. "That's what I do with fashion designers. They ask for my opinion, and can barely contain themselves while they wait for it."

"I'm not a designer," Chloe said through gritted teeth. "I'm your daughter. And this is important to me. This isn't your fashion game where you can fire anyone you want and tell them that their designs suck and then they change to fit what you like and you save their careers that you tried to destroy. This is your child confiding in you and telling you something important. I don't have to be here. I didn't have to tell you that I like girls. But I still want you to be part of my life, and that's why I'm here. If you don't like it, then you'll never see me again, because Kagami is more important to me that your opinion of us. You know what?" She stood and pulled Kagami up alongside her. "I don't care. If you're being this much of a bitch about me having a girlfriend, then I've got better things to be doing. Like taking Kagami out to dinner. Come on."  Tugging on Kagami's hand, she led her to the door.

"Chloe."

"I don't want to hear it."

"Chloe, I think it's wonderful that you've found someone that you love."

Kagami stroked Chloe's hand comfortingly as they stopped in front of the door. As badly as she wanted to leave, Chloe couldn't make herself ignore her mother.

"You deserve to be happy. Happier than your father and I are. You deserve real love, because you’re brave enough to admit what I never could about myself."

Turning to face Audrey again, Chloe held her head high. "Yeah. I do deserve real love. Because I'm going to work to make this the best relationship it can be. Kagami and I are going to have a wonderful relationship. We deserve nothing less." She opened the door and ushered Kagami out before her, not looking back at her mother. She didn't need to. She didn't need anyone's approval, and knowing that was the most freeing thing she had ever felt.


End file.
